Chương 501: During the Banquet

Now that I see Liu Ce revitalizing the Han Dynasty, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

All those years of perseverance and waiting were worth it.

He muttered to himself, "The Great Han has finally returned."

He quietly wiped his eyes, silently raised his wine glass, and offered a distant toast towards the throne.

He then whispered to Xi Zhicai beside him, "Zhicai, do you think the late emperor, if he were alive today, would be pleased to see this scene?"

Xi Zhicai smiled and said, "Yes, the late emperor chose the right person."

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the hall became completely ignited.

The military officers were playing drinking games, boasting, and making a lot of noise, even more lively than when they were fighting.

Someone stood up and shouted, "Back then, I chopped three of them down with one stroke."

Someone slammed their hand on the table and said, "What's that? I chased hundreds of them all by myself."

Anyway, bragging doesn't cost anything, so the more you brag, the more outrageous it gets.

Liu Ce smiled as he stepped down from the throne, holding a wine cup in his hand, and toasted each of his meritorious officials.

He first walked over to Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei, patted them on the shoulder, and spoke in a gentle voice, just like when the brothers sat together drinking in that small courtyard in Zhuo County back then:

"Second brother, third brother, fourth brother, fifth brother, you have worked hard all these years. Without you, there would be no Great Han today."

"Brother!" Zhang Fei, his eyes red-rimmed, raised his wine bowl.

"To be able to follow you in conquering the world is the greatest honor of my life! I toast you, brother!"

"Brother, I am not good with words, but I will remember this kindness in my heart." Guan Yu raised his cup, his phoenix eyes shining.

Zhao Yun raised his cup, his voice steady: "Brother, I am willing to follow you and protect this peaceful world."

Dian Wei raised his cup and said in a simple and honest manner, "Brother, I'm not good with fancy words, but my life belongs to you!"

"Alright!" Liu Ce's eyes were slightly red as he raised his glass.

"Cheers, brothers!"

The five men clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

All the words in this glass of wine are contained within.

Liu Ce laughed heartily and patted each of them on the shoulder.

Then he walked over to Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Xun Yu, and said with a smile:

"You have worked tirelessly day and night to manage state affairs over the years. The governance of the Han Dynasty will depend on you all in the future. You are my right and left arms; I cannot do without any of you."

"We dare not accept such praise," Fang Xuanling bowed and said.

"It is our blessing and our duty to assist Your Majesty in creating a prosperous era."

Xun Yu raised his cup: "Your Majesty, I toast you. May the Han Dynasty enjoy a long and prosperous reign, lasting for ten thousand generations."

Liu Ce clinked glasses with him and drank it all in one gulp.

Finally, he walked up to Cheng Yaojin, saw that his mouth was greasy, he had half a pork knuckle hidden in his pocket, and his sleeves were bulging, and couldn't help but laugh:

"Zhijie, eat slowly. If you're still hungry, have the imperial chef make more. That thing you're hiding in your arms, are you taking it home for the child?"

Cheng Yaojin blushed and scratched his head sheepishly, "Hehe, His Majesty understands me best. My boys have been clamoring for the braised pork knuckle from the palace for ages. If I go back empty-handed, they'll pluck all my beards out."

"You," Liu Ce chuckled and shook his head, then called out to the eunuch, "Go to the imperial kitchen and get ten more braised pork knuckles for Duke Lu to take home! Remember, they must be fresh out of the pot and still hot!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Cheng Yaojin was overjoyed and quickly bowed, which drew another burst of laughter from the crowd.

Cheng Yaojin was a master at fighting, a master at eating meat, and an even better master at hiding meat.

Everyone laughed uproariously when they saw his bulging arms.

"Also, prepare a copy for the Duke of Jin, the Duke of Yan, the Duke of Dai, the Duke of Chen, the Duke of Ji... don't favor one over the other," Liu Ce added.

Everyone laughed even harder.

The setting sun shone through the carved windows of the palace gates, casting a warm golden glow over the joyful sounds filling the hall.

The light fell on the golden seal, on the wine glasses, and on everyone's smiling face, freezing this moment forever.

The past battles and bloodshed have all transformed into this moment of clinking glasses and harmonious joy.

Liu Ce stood in the hall, looking at the spirited and meritorious officials before him, and at the peaceful scene before him. He raised his wine cup and loudly addressed everyone:

"My lords! Let us pay homage to our shared eight years! Let us pay homage to this hard-won peace! Let us pay homage to the eternal prosperity of the Han Dynasty!"

"Homage to Your Majesty! Homage to the Great Han!"

Everyone raised their glasses and shouted in unison.

The crisp sound of clinking wine glasses, mingled with laughter, drifted out of Deyang Palace, reaching every household in Luoyang City, and spreading to every corner of the vast land of the Han Dynasty.

The wine in the glass, reflecting the setting sun, is like a burning fire, like the blood of heroes, and like this newly born dynasty, full of boundless hope.

In the distance, someone set off fireworks, one after another blooming in the darkening sky, red, yellow, purple, and gold, illuminating the entire city of Luoyang with dazzling colors.

People came out of their homes, stood on the street, looked up at the fireworks, and smiled.

"I heard His Majesty bestowed titles and honors upon many meritorious officials today!"

"Absolutely! Duke of Jin, Duke of Yan, Duke of Dai... just hearing those titles sounds impressive!"

"Our lives will definitely get better and better from now on!"

"That's right! With His Majesty here, what do we have to fear?"

Fireworks burst forth one after another, illuminating the night sky and the smiles of everyone.

The banquet continued inside the Deyang Palace.

Everyone was so drunk they were staggering, but none of them wanted to leave.

Cheng Yaojin was snoring on the table, with an elbow in his arms.

Zhang Fei and Xu Chu had their arms around each other's shoulders, talking nonsense in their drunken state, neither of them able to understand what the other was saying.

The civil officials managed to hold their tongues, but they were all blushing and their speech became slurred.

Liu Ce stood at the palace gate, watching all this, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

Cai Yan appeared beside him at some point and gently took his hand: "Husband, are you tired?"

Liu Ce shook his head and pulled her into his arms: "I'm not tired. Today is the happiest day of my life."

Cai Yan leaned on his shoulder and said softly, "There will be many more happy days to come."

Liu Ce nodded, looking at the fireworks filling the sky in the distance: "Yes, it will."

The lights in Deyang Palace stayed on until late at night.

...

a few days later.

The Northern Palace of Luoyang, Deyang Hall.

As the sun rose, golden rays streamed through the carved windows into the main hall, illuminating the officials standing solemnly within.

The crimson court robes blended into a deep ocean, and the ivory tablets gleamed with a warm luster in the morning light.

Outside the palace, the yellow banners on the red steps stretched from the palace gate all the way to the Vermilion Bird Gate. The banners fluttered in the wind, and the armor was bright. More than two thousand civil and military officials stood solemnly according to their rank, and not even a cough could be heard.

Everyone bowed their heads and lowered their eyes, their hands folded on their knees. In the vast palace, only the faint sound of incense smoke rising from the incense burner could be heard.